APA Style Guidelines

Study Notes

APA (American Psychological Association) style is a set of guidelines for writing and formatting academic papers, particularly in the social sciences.
APA style is commonly used in fields such as psychology, education, business, and health sciences.

Double-spacing: All text, including the title page, abstract, and body, should be double-spaced.
Font and size: Use a clear, legible font (e.g., 12-point Times New Roman) throughout the document.
Margins: Leave 1-inch margins on all sides (top, bottom, left, and right).
Indentation: Use a half-inch indentation for the first line of each paragraph.

In-text citations: Use author-date format, with the author's last name and year of publication in parentheses, e.g., (Smith, 2020).
Reference list: List all sources cited in the text at the end of the document, in alphabetical order by author's last name.
Citation types: APA style has specific guidelines for citing different types of sources, including:
- Books
- Journal articles
- Online sources
- Conference proceedings
- Theses and dissertations

Book:
- Author, A. A. (Year). Title of book. Publisher.
- Example: Smith, J. (2020). The psychology of learning. Routledge.
Journal article:
- Author, A. A. (Year). Title of article. Title of Journal, Volume(Issue), pp.-pp.
- Example: Johnson, K. (2020). The effects of sleep on cognitive function. Journal of Sleep Research, 29(2), 123-135.
Online source:
- Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day of publication). Title of webpage. Title of website. Retrieved from
- Example: World Health Organization. (2020, January 15). Mental health. Retrieved from

Headings and subheadings: Use a hierarchical system of headings and subheadings to organize the paper.
Tables and figures: Use clear and concise labels and captions for tables and figures.
Abbreviations: Define abbreviations when first used, and use them consistently throughout the paper.

APA style is a set of guidelines for writing and formatting academic papers, especially in social sciences.

All text should be double-spaced.
Use a clear, legible font (e.g., 12-point Times New Roman) throughout the document.
Leave 1-inch margins on all sides (top, bottom, left, and right).
Use a half-inch indentation for the first line of each paragraph.

Use author-date format for in-text citations, with the author's last name and year of publication in parentheses (e.g., Smith, 2020).
List all sources cited in the text in a reference list at the end of the document, in alphabetical order by author's last name.
APA style has specific guidelines for citing different types of sources, including books, journal articles, online sources, conference proceedings, and theses and dissertations.

Format: Author, A.A.(Year).Title of article.Title of Journal, Volume(Issue), pp.-pp.
Example: Johnson, K.(2020).The effects of sleep on cognitive function.Journal of Sleep Research, 29(2), 123-135.

Format: Author, A.A.(Year, Month Day of publication).Title of webpage.Title of website.Retrieved from
Example: World Health Organization.(2020, January 15).Mental health.Retrieved from

Use a hierarchical system of headings and subheadings to organize the paper.
Use clear and concise labels and captions for tables and figures.
Define abbreviations when first used, and use them consistently throughout the paper.